Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to a process and system of microorganism growth and recovery of valuable products. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and process for culture of microorganisms and extraction of products using high shear.
Background of the Invention
As is known, ecosystems depend upon the ability of some organisms to convert inorganic compounds into food that other organisms can then exploit. In most cases, primary food production occurs in a process called photosynthesis, which is powered by sunlight. In a few environments, primary production happens though a process called chemosynthesis, which runs on chemical energy. Together, photosynthesis and chemosynthesis fuel all life on Earth. Photosynthesis occurs in plants and some bacteria, wherever there is sufficient sunlight on land, in shallow water, even inside and below clear ice. All photosynthetic organisms use solar energy to turn carbon dioxide and water into sugar and oxygen. There is only one photosynthetic formula: CO2+6H2O→C6H12O6+6O2.
Chemosynthesis is the use of energy released by inorganic chemical and simple organic compounds such as methane reactions to produce food such as carbohydrates and other organic compounds. Chemosynthesis is at the heart of deep-sea communities, sustaining life in absolute darkness, where sunlight does not penetrate. All chemosynthetic organisms use the energy released by chemical reactions to make a sugar, but different species use different pathways. For example, the most extensive ecosystem based on chemosynthesis lives around undersea hot springs. At these hydrothermal vents, vent bacteria oxidize hydrogen sulfide, add carbon dioxide and oxygen, and produce sugar, sulfur, and water: CO2+4H2S+O2→CH2O+4S+3H2O. Other bacteria make organic matter by reducing sulfide or oxidizing methane. Chemosynthetic bacterial communities have been found in hot springs on land and on the seafloor around hydrothermal vents, cold seeps, whale carcasses, and sunken ships.
Recently, there are various concepts of utilizing bacteria (genetically-modified or engineered) to convert carbon (e.g., CO2) to value products (e.g., isobutanol). Clearly, there is a need and interest to continue to develop systems and methods to apply such concepts industrially so that carbon dioxide and other agricultural or municipal wastes can be converted into valuable products.